Method of making false eyelashes



July 8,}969 B. UDES METHOD OF MAKING FALSE EYELASHES Sheet I of 2 FiledAug. 6, 1968 C 2 Z A W a L w r 0 5 m w F 5 5 /1 6 7 MW O 20 a l m aFIG.2

F A W x 367A l w INVENTOR. BENJAMIN UDES ATTORNEYS July 8, 1969 B. UDESMETHOD OF MAKING FALSE EYELASHES Sheet Filed Aug. 6, 1968 a I AM. W F mA 6 6 B x 0 0 W H05 7 w M h m I V |r\l| 4 B 5 d W m. uhwufil W 1 HU 8 lwV 7 G I F United States tent o1:

3,454,015 Patented July 8, 1969 3,454,015 METHOD OF MAKING FALSEEYELASHES Benjamin Udes, 360 E. 55th St., New York, N.Y. 10022 FiledAug. 6, 1968, Ser. No. 750,502 Int. Cl. A4lg /02 U.S. Cl. 132-5 12Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE To manufacture false eyelashes, astrip of paper or other suitable material is employed in a weavingoperations as a warp. At both side edges of the strip additional warpsare arranged in the form of threads. A weft constituted by a nylonfilament or the like is woven through the warp by the use of a shuttle.The resulting product is then curled and/or cut longitudinally to formsections whereof the weft constitutes the lashes and the warp threadsconstitute a woven support for the lashes. The strip is removed.

Brief description of the drawing FIGURE 1 is a diagrammatic illustrationof a weaving technique employed for manufacturing false eyelashes inaccordance with the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a view similar to FIGURE 1 illustrating a subsequent step inthe weaving operations;

FIGURE 3 is a diagrammatic side view of the weaving operation;

FIGURE 4 is a diagrammatic top view of the weaving operation employed inaccordance with the invention;

FIGURE 5 is a view of a portion of the product manufactured inaccordance with the techniques illustrated in FIGURES 1-4;

FIGURE 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VI-VI of FIGURE 5;

FIGURE 7 is a diagrammatic illustration of the step of imparting a shapeto the product of FIGURES 5 and 6;

FIGURE 8 shows a further step in the formation of a false eyelash inaccordance with the invention;

FIGURE 9 diagrammatically illustrates the end product of the procedureindicated in FIGURES 1 through 8.

Detailed description This invention relates to false eyelashes and thelike and to methods and apparatus for manufacturing the same.

It is an object of the invention to provide a new and improved techniquefor the manufacture of false eyelashes.

It is another object of the invention to provide an improved techniquewhereby false eyelashes can be manufactured with mass productiontechniques thereby minimizing the labor and costs required in producingfalse eyelashes.

Yet another object of the invention relates to the provision of animproved false eyelash whereof the compo nents are securely connectedtogether without sacrificing any of the detail as is normally requiredin the fabrication of cosmetic products.

To achieve the above and other of the objects of the invention there isemployed a weaving technique wherein the weft is employed to constitutethe lashes and wherein the warp is so formed as to constitute supportingedges there being further employed as part of the warp, a flat strip ofpaper or other such material as will enable the lashes to assume thedesired size.

By the use of such a weaving technique there is obtained an intermediateproduct wherein weft filaments extend between spaced tightly wovenedges, the weft filaments straddling the aforesaid strip which issubsequently removed.

Before, however, the strip is removed the intermediate product describedabove is submitted to a forming operation preferably involving theapplication of pressure and heat by means of which a curl is imparted tothe product.

Thereafter the intermediate product is longitudinally severed along aline at least substantially parallel and midway between the aforesaidedges whereby two sets of lash elements are provided which can beindividually cut to the desired length and shape.

The invention will be more clearly understood from the followingdetailed reference to the aeompanying drawing the various figures ofwhich have been briefly described above.

Referring first to FIGURE 1 there will first be noted a plurality ofteeth 10, 12, 14, 16, 18;, 20, 22, 24, 26, and 28 which constituteelements of a reed 30 which is an element well known in the weaving art.

Between the various teeth are located. on the one hand threads 32, 34,36, and 38 and spaced therefrom at the other side of the reed arelocated threads 40, 42, 44, and 46.

In a conventional arrangement the teeth which have been noted above areusually equidistantly spaced across the entire expanse of the reed.However, in accordance with the invention there is provided asubstantial gap or space 48 through which is fed a strip of material 50.The purpose of this strip will become hereinafter apparent.

Also illustrated in FIGURE 1 is a shuttle 52 moving in the directionshown by arrow 54 at the instant depicted. The shuttle 52 trails behindit a weft thread 56 the purpose of which will hereinafter becomeapparent.

In accordance with the invention, the strip 50 is preferably apaper-like material such as cardboard or the like. However, suitablesubstitutes may readily be employed. The function of the strip is toprovide a spacing defining the length of the lashes on the falseeyelashes to be manufactured but there are supplemental functions suchas leading support, being heat resistant, and being adapted to be formedwith a curled shape as will be hereinafter shown. As another importantfunction, the paper or its substitute is intended to constitute a formon which the eyelashes can be thermoplastically set.

In general, the strip 50 will have a thickness T lying between the rangeof .002.125 inch. It has been found, however, that a thickness lying inthe range of about .007-.008 inch yields very good results. Asaforesaid, the strip may be of a paper-like material but plastic issuitable in many cases as is tin foil and other such types of materialwhich can serve the purposes hereinafter outlined.

The threads 32, 34, 36, 38 and 40, 4'2, 44, 46, which constitute withthe strip 50 the warp elements of the weave, are made of conventionalweaving materials which may include silk, rayon, wool, cotton, Dacron,Orlon, and nylon. Although four such threads have been shown on oppositesides of the strip 50, other numbers of such threads may be employed.Thus, for example, instead of four such threads on opposite sides of thestrip 50 there may be employed '6, 8, or 10 or more such threads. Oddnumbers of threads may also be employed where suitable.

As to the weft thread 56, this is preferably a thermosetting material.Monofilament nylon of about 30 denier is preferable but suitablesubstitutes are constituted by Dacron, Orlon, and rayon or othersynthetic materials. Natural materials such as silk or cotton may alsobe employed if suitably treated so as to be subsequently set in a curledshape by heat and/or pressure treatment. A suitable denier range is fromabout 10-60.

in addition to monofilament synthetic materials, multicomponentmaterials may be employed and the denier may vary substantiallyaccording to the desired final cosmetic result which is desired.

The width W of the strip 50 is preferably about one inch with a range of.050 inch greater or lesser according to requirements. Actually, therange can be extended to plus or minus .125 inch and this range may bestill further extended to give lashes of greater or lesser length aswill appear hereinafter.

In any event, it is seen in FIGURE 1 that the weft 56 is laid over thestrip 50 whereafter the shuttle 52 is returned in opposite direction asshown in FIGURE 2 according to the direction indicated by arrow 58.

In FIGURE 2 is appears that the return of shuttle 52 brings the weft 56back under the strip 50 the threads 32-38 and 40 86 having changedpositions in a conventional weaving procedure.

The means for interchanging the positions of the different warp elementsis well known in the weaving art but is indicated in diagrammatic mannerin FIGURE 3.

In FIGURE 3 appears the reed 30 wherethrough pass the warp elements ashas been indicated above. Considering FIGURE 3 related to FIGURE 1, theupper portion of the shed is constituted by warp threads 34, 38, 40 and42 whereas the lower portion of the shed is constituted by warp threads32, 36, 42 and 46. At the same time, the strip 50 may also be consideredas one of the warp elements.

The use of heddles in weaving operations is too well known to warrantdetailed description in this text. Consequently, heddle sections 68 and62 are merely diagrammatically indicated these interchanging positionsafter each passage of the shuttle 52 in such a manner that the warp andweft elements are woven together to form a unit which is taken up forexample on a takeup 64.

The top view of the diagrammatic illustration of FIG- URE 3 appears inFIGURE 4 wherein is illustrated heddle sections 60 and 62 and warpsources 66 from which originate warp threads 32-38 and 40-46. Alsoappearing on heddle section 62 is the source 68 of the strip 50.

As a part of the conventional weaving operation, there is provided abeat-up comb 70 providing the conventional function of beating the weftthread into the warp after each passage of the shuttle 52. This is anoperation which is well known and requires no detailed description inthis text except that it should be borne in mind that such procedure hasnot heretofore been employed in connection with the manufacture of falseeyelashes.

In the above description it has been shown how warp and weft elementsare combined into a woven unit. The spacing of the various elements inFIGURES l-4 has not, however, been conformed to reality but has beenintended merely to illustrate the method by which an intermediateproduct of the invention is formed. A better view of the intermediateproduct appears in FIGURE from which it can be seen that the warpthreads 32-38 are woven closely together to form a lateral or supportedge 76 whereas the warp threads 4046 are closely woven together to forma support edge 78. The weft 56 extends back and forth between thesupporting edges 76 and 78 on opposite sides of the strip 50.

As appears in FIGURE 6, the strip 50 defines the spacing between supportedges 76 and 78 and also constitutes a support for the weft 56.

The entire intermediate product thusly prepared is subjected, asillustrated in FIGURE 7, to a curling or forming operation. To this endthere are employed mold parts 80 and 82 having curved surfaces 84 and 86these mold sections being employed to subject the intermediate producthereinafter defined by reference character 88 to heat and/or pressure toprovide the same with a permanent curl. It is for this purpose that theweft filament 56 as aforesaid is preferably selected from the availablethermosetting materials so that once the operation illustrated in FIGURE7 has been completed, the intermediate product 88 has a permanent curltherein. Also it is desirable to retain the strip 50 in the intermediateassembly to give support of the same and to facilitate furtherprocessing and handling thereof.

FIGURE 8 illustrates a further step of the operation whereby theintermediate product is severed longitudinally and midway between thesupport edges 76 and 78 to form two sections 88a and 88b. The severingcan be effected by any conventional cutting device and for purposes ofillustration without limitation there have been shown the knife edges 90and 92. These knife edges can be mechanically or electrically operatedor may alternatively be operated by pneumatic or hydraulic pressure. Thenature and operation of the cutting device does not in its detailconstitute a part of the present invention.

When the step indicated in FIGURE 8 has been completed, there are twostrips of eyelash material 88a and 88b. These strips may be ofsubstantial length and are thereafter cut into individual eyelashportions as illustrated in FIGURE 9. Therein the single eyelashillustrasted consists of a supporting edge 76 or 78 from which extendthe weft threads 56, the Weft threads 56 constituting the lashes whichare woven in integral fashion to the plurality of warp threadsconstituting the support edges 76 or 78.

As also illustrated in FIGURE 9, the lashes may themselves be subjectedto a further cutting operation so as to have the free ends of the weftperipherally conformed to an arcuate shape shown by dotted line 94. Thestrip 50 can be removed at this time.

The process is thus completed and a multitude of eyelashes are thusformed by weaving together warp and weft elements whereof the warpincludes a fiat strip defining the distance between two support edgesupon which the weft sections are supported in cantilever manner toprovide the basis for forming eyelashes.

To finish off the eyelash of FIGURE 9, an adhesive of conventionalcosmetic type may be applied to support edges 76 and 78 and theeyelashes may be otherwise treated and packaged in usual andconventional manners.

In the weaving operation indicated hereinabove, the weft elements whichconstitute the finished lashes can be spaced on the edges in a number ofabout 8 to 200 per inch. This range can be exceeded for specialconstructions. According to the preferred range, however, the weftsections or lashes are spaced along the support edges in a numberranging from about 80 to per inch.

The strip 50 which has been discussed in detail above is a flat elementof bendable material which is adapted for being set in a curved shape bytreatment with pressure and heat. This strip is generally with a widthrange W of about 250-1250 inches and may have a thickness of of about.002-.125 inch although preferably being in a range of about .005-.025inch. The filament constituting the weft and the lashes is, as has beennoted above, preferably of a denier of about 30.

While a weaving operation has been generally indicated above inconventional terms, it is to be understood that weaving operations havenot heretofore been applied to manufacturing false eyelashes accordingto the technique described. The weaving operations may assume variousforms and may be of the type, for example, which provide doupe, taffetaor satin weaves or combinations thereof. Other types of weaves are alsopossible in accordance with the invention.

There will now be obvoius to those skilled in the art many modificationsand variations of the method, product and apparatus described above.

What is claimed is:

1. A method of making false eyelashes comprising weaving a filamentbetween warp threads constituting two spaced edges and across and onopposite sides of a flat strip of material, which serves as a warp andis located between said edges, to form a woven assembly wherein thefilament constitutes the weft, and severing the assembly between theedges to form on each of said edges a multitude of filament weftsections adapted to constitute false eyelashes.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1 comprising heat treating the assemblyto give the same a curled shape wherein said strip constitutes a form.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the strip is of paper-likematerials. a

4. A method as claimed in claim 1 comprising further cutting thesections into a plurality of eyelash units each having the free ends ofthe filament sections conforming to a curved periphery.

5. A method as claimed in claim 1 comprising applying an adhesive to theedges whereby the edges can be attached to eyelids.

6. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the edges are spaced parallelwarp thread assemblies spaced between .250-l.250 inches.

7. A method as claimed in claim 6 where the edges are spaced between oneinch.

8. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the weft sections are spacedon the edges between 8 to 200 per inch.

9. A method as claimed in claim 8 wherein the weft sections are spacedbetween to per inch.

10. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the strip is a fiat elementof a bendible material which is adapted for being set in a curved shapeby treatment with pressure and heat and wherein the strip is between 7501250 inches wide and .002.125 inch thick.

11. A method as claimed in claim 10 wherein the strip is between.005.025 inch thick.

12. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the filament is between 10-60denier.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,450,259 4/1923 Nessler 132-52,421,432 6/1947 Phillips 132-5 3,245,416 4/1966 Aylott 1325 ROBERTPESHOCK, Prim ry Examiner.

JAMES W. MITCHELL, Assistant Examiner.

